We participated as children, but only to homes of those we knew. As an adult, I would prefer to celebrate the fall season, not Halloween; although, we have no children yet. Dr Dobson has some interesting information on his sight: http://www.family.org/topics/a0017957.cfm Also - I understand that there are tracts you can order from them to hand out with your candy if you so choose.

Our church always has a fall festival each year on October 31 and my husband always has tracts to give out. He said that he gets them at Lifeway. I would assume that any Christian bookstore would have some as well. :)

I was very surprised to see many of my favourite Christian bloggers do celebrate Halloween. I am quite staunchly against it for a number of reasons:*Witches/Wiccans celebrate Halloween, I don't want to join in.*Trick or treating has its origins in the more superstitious side of Catholicism in the old Irish tradition of souling, where people would go door-to-door begging soul-cakes, the more cakes they collected supposedly the more prayers they would say for the souls of those who had died. Only Jesus can save souls.*A lady was brought to Christ (and is still a devout Christian) because of my mother's refusal to send me to her Halloween party as a child - thus encouraging me to make the same stand now.*horror films, ghost stories and playing of ouija boards 'just for fun' is prevalent at older children's Halloween parties. Thus putting images into children's heads they may never forget, warping their view of the devil (he's a defeated enemy) and putting them in contact with evil spirits through the ouija.*the elderly in my area, including my grandmother who lives alone, find it a terrifying time with unaccompanied children in masks knocking on her door in the evenings.*my husband doesn't believe in children taking sweets off strangers at ANY time of the year.

I know again that people will argue that it is all just-in-fun, but I just cannot see that God would condone such a celebration. It certainly does not glorify the name of Jesus. I have been criticised for taking it too literally and that my beliefs frighten children. Well I must say I am not in the habit of even discussing the horrid origins with my children, we just don't celebrate it. I simply tell trick or treaters we don't celebrate it and risk the consequences(lol). One little boy said to me once (smiling with interest I might add) "oh, so you're Christian?" (after I had gently told him we don't celebrate it), if we had not stood up for our beliefs he would not have been able to tell the difference.

We don't celebrate halloween for many reasons (many already listed in the comments above), but one of the biggest is that my oldest son has an extreme case of hyperactivity that is aggrivated by sugar of any kind. But even if everyone was giving away sugar free stuff, we still wouldn't celebrate halloween. We use to let the kids dress up and celebrate halloween, but we were convicted to stop several years ago and so happy we did.

Your post stimulated me to write a Halloween Chronicle on mine. We have Reformation Day off for home school, learn about the Reformation, and get to carve a pumpkin. But after trying for many years to avoid Halloween altogether I compromised. If my husband were convicted against Halloween it would be another story, but he's not, and I have a hard time setting a standard he is indifferent about. Also I've had no church support, sadly.

I have a ton of respect for you and the things you write. There is much to be said about being content in our homes and being the best Mom and wife we can be. May we bring glory to Christ!

I have done a ton of reading on Halloween and was so opposed when my 1st was born. (And I grew up trick or treating!!!) Then I changed my mind!

I don't want my kids to grow up settling for easy answers and not wrestling with the conscience God gave them. The truth is: some consciences are weaker or stronger than others.

And my conscience is strengthened to read about Paul's ministry and his attempts to find commonalities between he and pagans so that he might have an opportunity to present the Gospel (the power of God for those who are perishing). And he didn't do that with a tract. He did it with his life, with this words, with grace that he had for fellow sinners (in the power of the Holy Spirit).

How can we do that? Well, I homeschool and so my kids are not immersed in the world of lots of friends all day. My kids are excited to play baseball or football (or babies) with their friends in MY front yard. Their friends like me because I love them and ask them about their day and try to bring fairness to their play. None of these kids goes to church but I hope I am presenting a picture to them of the love and care of Jesus.

I think it is fair to tell our children the truth about Halloween (just did this with my 7 y/o) and allow them to decide. We should not have a spirit of fear about these matters. It's our call to make as parents but fear should not hinder us!

I don't know too many kids who look at tracts in their pumpkins because, to a kid, Mr. Goodbar is better news. And I wonder if being "found out" as a Christian aint all that great. Why would the little boy have to ask about her faith? Shouldn't he have already known that she was different? Seems like he might have had a category set up for Christians...

Families around us need to see love (and dressing up as a witch or sending your kids out at midnight to a teenage party with no supervision is not what I am pushing for). Loving our neighbors and realizing the impact we can have on them for good or for bad in this life is significant.

We have to look at it the same way some of us do parenting. It's a long term thing. We have to build into RELATIONSHIPS. Tracts are easy and efficient but Jesus cared for crowds and individuals and ate with sinners. That's messy and tiresome. Are we willing to love our neighbors so much? Are we willing to show them that in this world of busyness, we are available to love them? Can we find ways to identify with them so that the Gospel is presented in a sweeter way?

We, as Christians, DO need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let's read God's Word, let's take seriously His charge to love and pursue the lost and cease in making judgements about what days are bad or good.

Bob's wife (who will be over at a neighbor's house Tuesday night, eating chili with lots of other neighbors, before we take our kids trick or treating)

Mrs. Blythe, thank you for sharing this information! I fully agree with you and our family often been questioned by those who think we are too "weird"- including family who thinks we take this "a little too far".

Mrs. Bob, I, too, don't want my children to settle for "easy" answers which is why we explain very cleary why our family does not celebrate Halloween.

I agree with you about tracts. You are right, children WOULD rather have Mr. Goodbar than read a tract. But... some WILL read it and some of their parents will read it, too. It just takes a little seed to take root and grow. :)

You said that you shared the truth about Halloween with your children and you let them decide about it. I have to ask you now... would they rather sit home and do nothing or go out and get some free Mr. Goodbars? :) I'm not sure children really care about right and wrong when free candy is calling their name.

Thank you for the reminder to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". The verse starts off by saying "do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". By our family celebrating Halloween, we are conforming to the world. We have studied the facts about the history of this wicked day and held it up against Scripture. Clearly, this day will not ever be celebrated by our family.

Thanks for the push back. We will have to disagree on this one and I will give no excuses or reasons except to say that I will think and pray about what you have said.

The world is out there and they need Jesus. The Church (people) needs to respond by showing love and mercy and friendship to those who are far from Him (and may have been burned by human judgements instead of being wooed by the message of God's love), with the goal of sharing the Gospel.